Fun in the English Classroom

Event: Fun in the English Classroom

Date: 26th January 2013 

Venue: Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Miri, Sarawak.

 I was invited by Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang College & Miri Education Office to conduct a series of presentations & workshop last month. Frankly, the invitation came as a surprise for me as I'm currently on study leave and I was actually sitting for my IT Project Management final exam when I received the e-mail pertaining to this workshop. Then, I thought, why not? It would be great to network with other teachers and share new ideas and experience with them. My main focus was using technology as the catalyst to encourage fun and interactive learning.

I divided my workshop into 3 sessions. The first session focussed on Flipped Classroom where I introduced the concept, history, tools and ways we can incorporate virtual teaching & learning. Next is Creativity & Active Learning where I emphasized on the incorporation of HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) in teaching. The teachers also tried some activities that involves a lot of bodily kinesthetic intelligence (singing/dancing/acting). Last but not least, my last session talked on gamifying learning process. Here, teachers are exposed to ways we can inculcate competitiveness and element of fun in classroom teaching. They tried QR Code Amazing Race and they had so much fun! I introduced some freewares and online games that they can use with their students too. Teaching should not only be fun for students but for teachers themselves too! Thanks to my ex-schoolmate, Azlan, the Head Steward of MAS whom I met coincidentally in the plane, the participants were given prizes, courtesy of MAS. Isn't that serendipitous? Although 6 hours talking can be taxing but I honestly enjoyed sharing ideas and experience with everyone!

My deepest thanks and gratitude to Madam Sawaran Jit Kaur and Miri Education Office for inviting me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my ideas & knowledge with the rest. Madam Sawaran Jit Kaur is an edutech enthusiast herself and she possessed utmost fervour when it comes to technology incorporation in classroom teaching. I've met Zamimah, a young English teacher who had achieved wonderful feat and I wish more teachers could network so we can encourage more teachers to see the potential of IT in facilitating teaching & learning process. Nonetheless, I reminded the participants that technology can never EVER replace a good teacher. However, a good teacher would be willing to unlearn, learn and relearn in order to be the best in his/her profession.

My workshop highlighted by Borneo Post. This definitely put a smile on my face. I hope I would be given the opportunity to give back to community by sharing ideas and experience with others. We gain by giving and in the context of teaching, selflessness has always been a pivotal focal point of a teacher's life. Apart from that, I am grateful and delightful with my Sem 1 final exam result. Alhamdulillah, I managed to get CGPA 4.0 and I hope I will be given the motivation to strive harder and do my best for the rest of the semester. Wish me luck!

 

Ushering new possibilities

Hello, I am still alive and kicking albeit my blog inertia :) Alhamdulillah, I finished my final examination early this month and boy, how I emphatize with my students more after cracking my brain trying to revise for those examinations. Yay, I survived Semester 1 of my IT Management course. I used to doubt whether I could pull it off as I have no academic background in IT, just banking on my meagre IT experience, learning DIY style. So far, I'm enjoying the opportunities to expand my learning horizon and network with respected lecturers and awesome classmates. I certainly hope that 2013 will usher new posibilities for all of us, perhaps a chance for us to improve ourselves as learners and educators. The possibilities are endless.

The best learning curve was learning more on how to manage effectively. I am grateful as my lecturers have been so accomodating and  helpful. I was given the chance to spearhead the excursion to The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) for my IT Planning & Management class. Thanks to Dr. Razak for trusting me. Alhamdulillah, it turned out well and I'm indebted to those classmates who helped out and make it a success. I love ITPM and yay, I got A+ for final exam, the top 3 scorers for this subject, alhamdulillah.

Best team ever!

 

The best learning experience ever was IT Project Management class...the best class ever! Thanks to Dr. Zaidi for inspiring us. I've learned ways to do proper project management and network with my team members to handle IT Training classes and raise profit for our business. It was a great experience, lots of bittersweet memories but the best lesson I've learned from managing business is to have faith in your team, rectify issues and find solutions. We aspire to keep on our IT Training and we plan to conduct Endnote trainings, SPSS, CMS Web Development etc.

This year, I've decided to make a very bold move in my life management. I've decided to focus on my studies and aim on publishing papers for high-impact journals. I had to turned down some book publication offers because I don't think I can manage to do everything at once. Perhaps, once I've finished my Masters, I'll resume writing English reference books again. This year, I've submitted paper for IGCESH 2013 and I've submitted another paper for ICALT 2013, an IEEE conference in Beijing, China this upcoming July. I am also conducting freelance proofreading services and at the moment, I am proofreading JISRI journal for UTM. Although I'm still an amateur, I feel it's good to give it a shot and hopefully, that can hone my skills in exploring new expertise. Hopefully everything will turn out well.

This Saturday, I'll be flying off to Miri, Sarawak to deliver a series of talk for Cluster School Programme. Thank you to Pn. Sawaran Jit Kaur and PPD Miri for inviting me..am humbled by your invitation. I'll be focussing on fun ways to teach English by optimizing online resources and gamifying classroom learning. Apart from that, the knowledge sharing session will help teachers to network with others on best teaching practices and ways we can motivate students to learn better and effectively. Can't wait to meet all of them :)

May 2013 bring wonderful surprises and perpetual happiness to all of you! :)

21st MELTA International Conference 2012

Date     : 28-29 th May 2012
Venue  : Sunway Putra Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The opening ceremony. This year, the conference is held at 2 venues, KL and Kuching. This has been my 4th time participating in MELTA conference, all using my own expenses. I perceive it as a good platform to share ideas, revive my learning styles and network with other educators. 

HRH Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Raja Idris Shah, the royal patron of MELTA.

I did the 'crazy' bit by sharing my action research during the Creative Teacher Showcase and conducting workshop during the conference. The main idea was to share what I've done with my students but I tell ya, it's kinda taxing and I missed some of paper presentations from others too :( Maybe next time, I'll reconsider doing both in the next conference. On the bright side, I got the chance to showcase the project that I've conducted with my students. The biggest perk is to get Dato' Dr. Khair B. Mohd Yusof,  Deputy Director General, Ministry of Education and Datin Dr. Siti Zaleha Abdullah Sani, Director, Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan (BTP) dropping by at my booth to watch the videos made by my students. I think E-Learning would definitely be a great catalyst to motivate our students to learn better and discover their true potentials. 

I'm happy that my book is finally out and launched during the 21st MELTA Conference. The book, 'ICT and ELT: Researches and Practices in South East Asia' is the first book that focuses on the use of ICT in English Language Teaching in South East Asia and I'm glad to be part of this project. You can purchase the book via the MELTA's website.  I wrote a chapter entitled 'Utilising Web 2.0. technologies in teaching the KBSM English Literature Component via MY LIT PROJECT', a classroom-based action research that I had conducted with my students back in 2010. I've presented it during the 19th MELTA Conference and it was featured in The Star newspaper as well.  Dr. Kabilan proposed that I write it as an academic write-up and honestly, I was kinda apprehensive at first because it's my first attempt at academic writing after years of graduating B.ed in 2001. Nonetheless, I took it as an opportunity to enrich my writing skills and share what Malaysian teachers are doing in classroom. I was surprised to know that I'm the only teacher contributor among the distinguished South East Asian lecturers. Thanks Dr. Kabilan for the vouch of confidence and I hope this will not be my last attempt.

The workshop that I've conducted on the last day of conference. I decided to do a workshop on Hot Potatoes although I am aware there are so many latest E-Learning tools such as Edmodo, QR Code and other social networking sites that cater to classroom teaching and learning. The main reason why I did it is to encourage teachers to generate their own learning materials, to suit their students' invidual needs. Since Hot Potatoes can be used online or offline, it shouldn't be any qualm for teacher not to try this in school. To me, Hot Potatoes can be used to generate revision materials, extra reinforcement activities for students and students enjoy it as they are interactive and game-like. I'm glad that the workshop received good response from everyone and a lecturer even suggested I write a paper on this in the MELTA journal so I can share this with everyone. Alhamdulillah, I was awarded Bronze for Basil Wijayasuriya Award as best teacher presenter. For me, it was unexpected because I presented for the sake of sharing ideas and experience. After all, there are a lot of more experienced teachers such as Kak Rahmah and Ms. Shantini who are reknowned Guru Cemerlang (Master Teacher) in Malaysia.

Honestly, I feel that we need to give support for more teachers to contribute and share ideas at conferences. My journey hasn't been smooth sailing, my intention of blogging, carrying out action research, doing innovation and sharing ideas at conferences has sometimes been misunderstood by the admins and fellow colleagues but I move forth because I feel when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. When I was having Tweet discussion with Zaid AlSagoff and Will Deyamport last night, I realise that the most important part of being an teacher is to do what you believe would benefit yourself and your students in a long run. The journey may be painstaking but eventually, things will start to brighten up and the best satisfaction is inspiring others to make a difference. 

English Mini Carnival 2012

Date           : 12th May 2012
Venue         : Sri Tasek Hall, SMK Tasek Utara
Organiser    : English Language Panel, SMK Tasek Utara
Facilitators  : Charles Hornsta & David Prihoda, English Teaching Assistants (ETA)

Awesome workshops conducted by the two guys. Students learn more on American culture and share their experiences with Charlie & David. I'm so blessed that I managed to rope them in. It wasn't an easy task but alhamdulillah, things turned out well eventually.

My talented students. This event is mainly organised by the Student Leaders Board with facilitation from the English Language teachers. My students set up games and photo booths, carnival style :) I'm so proud of their efforts. Good job everyone!

The participants and the committee members. I'm so glad to hear that Charlie & David had a whale of a time being with my students. Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience with us. My students were so excited and I can see they are more confident in speaking English now, thanks to this event. 

Johor Midyear Examination Schedules 2012

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” ~ General Colin Powell

Hi folks,
 Enclosed are the schedules for the Johor Midyear Examinations for Form 3, Form 5 and Upper Six students. Hope this would assist you in revising your upcoming examinations. All the best of luck!

Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun T3 Negeri Johor 2012 Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun Tingkatan 5 Negeri Johor 2012 Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun Tingkatan 6 Atas Negeri Johor 2012

The Curse, Catch Us If You Can & Step by Wicked Step

Based from my blog stats, I've discovered that there are quite a number of visitors who were looking for materials on the Form 5's novels ( The Curse, Catch Us If You Can and Step by Wicked Step). Although I blogged more on The Curse as that is the novel that I am teaching in my school, I thought it would be good to jot down a blog entry on all the three novels for easy reference. Enclosed are materials on all of the aforementioned novels. They are provided by the Curriculum Development Division (CDD), MOE and I've shared them on my Scribd as well. I hope that would assist any student or teacher who is in need of extra reading material.

Step by Wicked Step Catch us if you can The Curse

I Wonder & Heir Conditioning

For Form 2 students and teachers who are looking for PowerPoint materials on Jeannie Kirby's I Wonder and M. Shanmugalingam's Heir Conditioning, I would like to share the materials I've received from the Johor Bahru's English Language Officer. For more English Lit materials, do check out my Slideshare's site.

I Wonder - Jeannie Kirby

View more PowerPoint from Nor Fadzleen

Heir Conditioning

View more PowerPoint from Nor Fadzleen

English Language Programmes for Schools in Johor 2012

Enclosed is the letter issued by the Johor Education Department pertaining to the execution of English Language programmes in 2012. For the secondary schools, the programmes are:

• English Literature Component
• EW 20
• LET ( Learn English Together)
• English Language Module
• An Essay a Month
• English Zone
• Plad JB
• JOSAS ( Johor Spelling Assessment Standard )

Program Bahasa Inggeris Sekolah-Sekolah Negeri Johor 2012

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

It's time to put our noses to the grindstone, folks! I know it has been a long hiatus as I was tied up with work during the school break. Alhamdulillah, 2011 had given me various opportunities to improve myself as a teacher, a learner and an individual. I've tried my hands at writing for local newspaper (E-Lab, Utusan Malaysia), working with BPK, writing an academic paper on the use of Web 2.0. in English Language teaching for a book, targetted at international ELT practitioners ( under the tutelage of AP Dr. Kamarul Kabilan, USM), working with intelligent and wonderful students leaders (JSLC), presenting my papers at two international conferences (MELTA and ICELT), receiving awards for my work (PPDJB and JPNJ), shortlisted for Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) scholarship and the cherry on the top was spending almost 2 weeks at Snowy River School of Leadership in Melbourne, Australia two weeks ago. Honestly, I could not have achieved all that without stellar support from my family, my friends and my colleagues. Apart from that, it has been a bittersweet year for me. Thinking how I struggled with the pain of recovering patella, overcoming the trauma from a robbery, painful accusations and my own shortcomings, I believe sometimes God gives you the adversity for you to be more resilient, to press on and to move forth. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

This year, I would still be heading my English Language panel and alhamdulillah, we managed to get 100% percentage for English Language in PMR exam this year! That's something I am proud of because this is the first time we managed to do that after so many years. I know my colleagues worked so hard to achieve our target. It is definitely a collaborative effort and I am glad that I have the opportunity to work with diligent and talented teachers. Of course, there's always room for improvement and I'm determined to strive harder to achieve my goals. For those looking for the English Language's Scheme of Works, PLAN J, PLAD JB and Panel Filing System, do check my Scribd page where I've uploaded them along with other essential docs needed to manage your panel smoothly.

To those who send me emails, thank you so much and I am glad that this humble blog have assisted you in any way possible. The main reason why I write is not for self-glorification but because I believe by jotting down my experience, thoughts and teaching practices, I could reflect on ways I could improve myself as a teacher. For me, it is important for us to stay grounded despite the recognitions one received as it will pave an avenue to learn better. I would definitely love to share my experience in Melbourne, Australia as I believe it was the turning point of my life this year but that would be an entry on itself as I was there for 12 days. There's so much to share and I believe the experience I've gained would helped me to teach more efficiently, to inspire instead of preaching and to serve instead of receiving.

I do hope this new year will usher wonderful opportunities and perpetual happiness, Insya Allah. Happy New Year everyone!

Power Of Being A Good Teacher

I came across these videos while searching for some resources on You Tube. The topic was 'Power of Being A Good Teacher' which is relevant to my professional growth. The guest is Professor Dr. Muhaya Hj. Muhammad, Personal and Professional Development Expert, Alliance College of Medical Science (ACMS) and someone who I admire for her attitude towards life, her string of accolades and optimistic life principles. I totally agree with her when she stressed that in order to be an excellent teacher, you can't stop learning and you ought to constantly upgrade yourself from time to time. Personally, I do hope I will be able to emulate all my former teachers and lecturers who have been great sources of inspiration. One essential thing I've learned from them is to stay down to earth and to keep on learning. Do check out the videos below and I hope they would inspire you as they had inspired me. Happy holidays!

Leadership and English Language Camp (LELaC V)

Wondering what to do this school holidays?

Why not head down to Penang and take part in LELaC V? I was contacted by the creator of LELaC, AP Dr Muhamamd Kamarul Kabilan of School of Educational Studies, USM, Malaysia recently and I think it's a brilliant programme to enhance your leadership qualities and inculcate love towards the English Language. It is opened for students aged  9-17 years old. It would be held from 6-8 December 2011 at Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Penang. Registration fee is RM190, including food and accomodation. For ex LELaCers, you only pay RM160.

Here are some information extracted from LELaC's flyer :

AIMS of LELaC

The content of this programme aims to encourage and motivate learners to:

- become a confident, motivating leader and communicator

- become a confident speaker

- convey thoughts effectively

- get people to listen to your opinions

- feel confident and assured when leading a large group of individuals

METHOD:

LELaC aims to help the learners achieve the above by:

- focusing mainly on skill building as a leader and effective speaker.

- using interesting and challenging activities that will get learners thinking creatively (in a collaborative, fun atmosphere)

- building the skills and confidence to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime!

 If you are interested, please e-mail Dr. Kabilan kabilan@usm.my or call 0123490305 to register.  The closing date is on 4th December 2011. Do check it out :)

The M Project: Being Malaysians

In conjunction with the Merdeka month celebration in my school, I've came up with the M Project where the main themes of the lessons revolved around patriotism & Independence Day. In this context, the main educational emphases are on Thinking Skills, ICT, Knowledge Acquisition and  Multiple Intelligences. There are so many ways the teachers can inculcate patriotism and raise awareness on ethnic harmony, national unity and tolerance. Rather than forcing them to embrace the 'I must be patriotic because I am a Malaysian or else, get out from this country' doctrine, I believe we should lead the students to form their own perspectives and reflections on their country via positive and constructive manners. Oh yeah, what best way than using multimedia and visual aids right? Here are some teaching aids that I've used to enhance the students' interest and patriotic fervour towards our beloved country, Malaysia.

a) Petronas' Merdeka Advertisements

Using television advertisement is a very effectual method of generating students' interests towards the topic. I always love the series of Petronas' Merdeka Advertisements as they act as catalysts during brainstorming session.  You could use various questioning techniques (open-ended, probing and leading) to evoke responses. It works well, especially with weak students as the visual aids  help them to come up with possible answers.

b) Project-based Learning

I always find project-based learning as the best way of boosting the students' interest and understanding towards a lesson as it generates active participation, collaboration skills, high thinking skills and indeed, a more meaningful lesson.  For the M Project, the students work in group and produce a pamphlet on the topic 'Being Malaysians'. The students did this within 2 days and they really put strong effort in producing these pamphlets. Way to go! For more information on project-based learning, do check out Intel Teach programme.

Students' works.

The students' works were assessed and awarded.

 c) Vlogging
 This is the latest fad among the teens and I believe it can be fully utilised to teach English as well. Afterall, what best way to connect with the students then using the latest Web 2.0. technologies? Vlog is coined from video + blog = vlog and it's uberly popular nowadays. I've came across a lot of vloggers such as Mat Lutfi, Maria Elena, Anwar Hadi, to name a few. What I like about vlogging is that it fuses the elements of role playing and digital storytelling which make the viewing more engaging and entertaining. This is in parallel with my latest Action Research where I focussed on Digital Storytelling. Maybe we should encourage more students to try this out in class. That would definitely excite the students yet help them to utilise technologies in improving their language proficiency.

 I've shown the vlogs below to my students and they helped the students to understand the concept of patriotism in a fun and meaningful way. Vlogging is a great learning alternative to enhance their confidence, vocabulary prowess and language competence.

Changes in PMR English Language Paper

I would like to share the latest circular [ KP.LP.003.07.14.03(1) ] issued by the Ministry of Education pertaining to the PMR English Language paper. Starting next year, English Literature Component would no longer be tested in Paper 1 (12/1) but would be assessed in Paper 2 (12/2) in form of open-ended questions (poem) and open response with textual evidence (novel). No more MCQs. Short stories will not be tested.

For further details, please refer to the enclosed circular.

Latest Circular on PMR English Language Format

20th MELTA International Conference 2011

Finally, I have the time to update this blog! I was bogged down with marking the midyear exam's scripts and attending 3 wedding receptions during the school holiday. However, I can't complain much as I had the chance to take a breather by attending the MELTA Conference in Kuala Tererengganu recently. Took a flight to KT with my significant one and I considered this as a professional development cum holiday. The venue for this year's conference is at Primula Beach Resort and I stayed at the hotel for the sake of convenience. It was my first visit to Terengganu and boy, I was blown away by the picturesque scenery, sandy beach and delectable food. Heavenly!

The conference in progress. I thought the Special Featured Session by Toh Puan Seri Wan Hibatul Hidayah Wan Ismail was brilliant. Her witty rhetoric was indeed refreshing . She intertwined her experience growing up and learning the English Language with ways she believe the subject should be taught in schools. The forum on Innovation in Global Learning was an eye-opener for me as I've learned that it is pivotal for teachers to have a stellar support system from the school admins and the parents, in order to sustain our students' learning gratification. Oh yes, the Teach For Malaysia programme is brilliant as Malaysian youths can chip in to teach students from less fortunate backgrounds. Reminded me of Projek Kalsom that was carried out by the United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC) when I was a student back then.

I presented a paper entitled 'The Fun Theory: Towards the Thinking ESL Classroom.' Alhamdulillah, it turned out well but indeed, there's still room for improvement. From the feedback I've received, a workshop session might be my next attempt as it would illustrate the theories presented more effectively. I think I'm the only teacher presenter who attempted paper presentation as most teacher presenters conducted workshops. It was heartening though, despite the lack of hands-on activity, a lot of participants approached me and gave positive remarks on the presentation. Honestly, I was a bit nervous in presenting ( I always feel the jitters whenever I need to talk in front of everyone) but hopefully, with more practice, I could improve my oratory skills. Thank you to those who attended my session and gave support and constructive criticisms. One can never stop learning in order to improve oneself, no?

One of the perks of attending conference is networking with like-minded teachers who are passionate about professional development. Puteri was my junior back in MPIK and she is known for her bubbly demeanour. We get along very well as we shared similar views and visions on teaching and professional development. She won the Basil Wijayasuriya Award for her workshop presentation on Dictionary Skills. Way to go Pu3! I met Ma, one of the Creative Teachers Showcase's participants who is currently teaching in Kuala Terengganu. She reminded me so much of myself when I started teaching and it's nice to motivate and share experience with the others. Saidatul is so determined to improve her teaching that she flew all the way from Sabah in order to attend this conference. Way to go!

Personally, I would encourage more teachers to attend MELTA Conference as it is a worthy investment in a long run. To me, teaching is not just about relaying information but it is about making connection. From this conference, I've discovered that teachers need to have strong support group from their colleagues as we can assist one another in improving ourselves. I've met a lot of inspiring educators that motivated me to improve my teaching skills. Datin Dr. Raja Mazuin (IPBA) was my former lecturer and she's such an inspiring woman. Dr. Normala (IIU)  has been so supportive of what I do that I am compelled to do something about my professional plan in the future.  Dr. Kabilan (USM) paved the way for me to have a go at academic writing for the upcoming MELTA Journal. I know that I I've only been teaching for 9 years and I still have a long way to go. Hence, I am glad that the MELTA Conference had helped me to develop my potential as an educator. Kudos to Dr. Guna and the MELTA Committee members who have made this conference a success!

I left my heart in Kuala Terengganu. Hope I can come back to Terengganu soon. Thank you for the wonderful memories :)

ESL Herald: The online headquarter for all things ESL

Are you looking for materials to spice up your teaching? Ever dream of working abroad? Feel you need to network with other English Language teachers but don't know how? Fret not. ESL Herald offers all the answers under one roof. I was contacted by Shane Phair, one of ESL Herald's personnels recently and I'm glad that he had informed me about this brilliant website.

Basically, ESL Herald aims to:

• help ESL teachers locate the most exciting global ESL job opportunities...
• provide schools and recruiters with the resources needed to find the brightest teachers worldwide...
• host a forum where ESL teachers can share their experiences...
• ensure all teachers have the tools needed to master their skills in the classroom
• assist ESL teachers with destination guidance so they can maximize their experience outside the classroom 

(cited  from ESL Herald)

The first thing that attracted me was its neat layout and fuss-free navigation. Finding materials is a breeze as the site is segmented according to the areas of interest. Personally, I like the Teacher Toolkit section as it provides a wide array of topics such as Essay Topics, Grammar, Games, Lesson Plans etc. You can narrow down your search  based on the age group of the students, level, article rating and date posted. For new teachers who need some ideas for first day of teaching, do check out  'First Day of Class'. No more classroom jitters as we can arm ourselves with brilliant tips and tricks to kick-start the class. Do check it out!  

Giving and Receiving

When I received this joyous news, I told my students that I would give them a treat. I felt it's only fair that my success is shared with all my students, those who made me who I am today. So as promised, I went to KFC and brought along a few students to carry the goodies back to school. It was amusing to watch the shock on the employee's face when I mentioned 6 barrels for takeaway. I think it's the first time they've ever received such large order at the drive-thru. Sure, it's a dent in my pocket but seeing how they appreciated my lessons all these while, well, to me that's priceless. I didn't realise that my initiative moved even the rowdy ones until they approached me that day and fumbled through their thank-yous. Miraculously, they became more cooperative the next day and even hand in their homework on time! Oh my god! Now I know how LouAnne Johnson must have felt. If I knew feeding these kids greasy fried chickens can change their attitude by leaps and bounds, I would have rushed to the KFC earlier, hehe.

When I went to SMK Gelang Patah for the Immersion Programme the next day, I've discovered that all teachers face various adversities in teaching, some may vary depending on situation and circumstances. Dealing with troubled adolescents, especially ones with discipline problems can be tough. Without doubt, good class management is vital in ensuring the flow of the lesson. The teachers I've met are dedicated teachers who had to deal with a challenge, engaging weak students to enjoy English Language class.

I had my fair share of teaching the last class, the one where not many teachers would be rubbing their hands in glee whenever they need to enter such class. You'll find a lot of sleepyheads, troublemakers and some of them are clueless, not sure why they need to be in school. If you're lucky, you'll get to coax all your students to hand in your work in time. Well, hopefully not because they'd copied the work from their friends. *shrugs*

I'm no expert in teaching. I've only been teaching for 9 years but I believe that regardless of your years of teaching, your success in teaching depends on how you engage your students in your lessons and how well you control your class. Voice projection is essential too. Apart from that, we need to accept students' criticisms as well. Once, my students in a class I've taught confessed that they thought the lesson for that particular session was boring because it was just worksheet and textbook. I know it's easy to feel demotivated once we receive such comment but if we reflect it positively, it could actually turn us to be better teachers. After receiving such feedback, it's only fair that we try to improve ourselves as teachers. Turn lemons into lemonade, they say. Hence, any feedback from students, positive or negative, fueled me to find engaging teaching alternatives to cater to their needs. Songs, language games, pop quizzes, multimedia and Internet-based learning are some of the catalysts for engaging and meaningful lessons.

In my honest opinion, all teachers face adversities and challenges in schools, regardless of whether they teach in a good school or not. It's unfair to label teachers just because of the demographic aspect or the attitude of the students per se. Nonetheless, I believe that teachers have strong impact on students' engagement in learning. In order to receive good results, we need to give good teaching as well. It's a reminder to myself that I need to be a constant learner and always try to give the best in everything I do.

Next Monday is the Teacher's Day celebration. Ironically, right after the T-Day's lunch, I need to tear myself away from the celebration to attend a meeting. Yes, that's right, a meeting. I'll be in Pontian to attend the 'Mesyuarat Peningkatan Akademik Matapelajaran Bahasa Inggeris Negeri Johor' for 3 consecutive days. Happy Teacher's Day to all the teachers out there. Kudos for being the resilient multi-tasking experts. YOU ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES!

Intel Teach: A gratifying learning experience

 Last week, I attended the Intel® Teach Course that was organised by the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC), Kuala Lumpur. Basically, its main objective is to mould effective educators that integrate IT in their lessons efficiently, elevating the gratification of the learning and teaching process. We were introduced to the concept of 21st century learning which I personally think should be embraced positively by all educators. Although I'm familiar with blogging and PowerPoint applications, I believe that one can always learn and refine oneself by learning constantly. Just like the well-renowned story of the Empty Cup, I believe there's always room for improvement and I am glad that The Intel® Teach Program broadened my perspectives on ways to integrate Web 2.0. technologies in promoting collaborative efforts and project-based learning.

  Group 4 : The 'certified' counsellors

[ l-r: Pn Ng (SMK TUTA), me, Pn. Jamiah (SMK TUTA) & Pn. Salbiah (STF)

The jovial Pn. Ng & I. For someone her age, she is quite IT-savvy. I salute you madam!

The course participants goofing away after 5 days of memory overload.

[l-r: Kak Sal, Ben, Kak Jem, me, Sui Liang & Pn.Ng)

Kak Sal & I presented our group's project in front of the course participants. Despite the gory 'mat rempit' images, I think the presentation went quite smoothly. We became students once more, burning the midnight oil, preparing  the unit plan, brochure, ppt and blog. What an experience!

The blog that we developed for our project-based learning. As our topic was concerning teen issues, we set up a counselling centre to help troubled teens. I'm in charge of developing the blog. I'm thinking of putting up all the group presentations & teaching materials online so everyone can benefit and use it in their lessons. What do you think?

A group photo with Madam Jayanti, our awesome course facilitator. I love her optimism in using IT to teach weaker students. I couldn't agree more, Madam. Based from my experience, weaker students learn better via audio-visual stimuli.

Apart from frantically preparing Unit Plan for our group presentation, I managed to meet my sis and my best friends, Zee & Pakcik. We've been best friends for a very long time and they have even become family friends. I got the chance to meet up with my former student, Suhaimi who is currently doing his final year at IPBA. He just got back from Plymouth and will be an English Language teacher, just like me! We had a  great discussion on the teaching profession and also his preparation for his upcoming teaching practical. Good luck Suhaimi ! For your information, I keep in touch with most of my ex students because I genuinely care about them even after they leave school. Thank god, I can rely on Facebook to keep in touch with all of them. They are the main reason why I signed up in the first place. I  was supposed to meet Afiqah, my ex-student as well but my schedule clashed with hers. No worries Afiqah, hope we can see each other in June yeah :)